• San Francisco from Sausalito •, a photo from California, West

Photographer's Note

This was a couple hours and many km later than here

The man is watching over the bay toward San Francisco at the Golden Gate station. If you look carefully, you will see Bay Bridge on the left leading to Oakland. At first, I was waiting for the man to leave, but finally, I realize the man was perfectly placed to balance the composition and made it much more profound opposed to the bridge with those "things" (how's it called??looks like owls) in the middle and the city in the background.

thanks to André, I just learned that the Bay Bridge is closed for the moment which makes this photo very actual. Per CNN.com: "The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge was still closed early Friday morning, with no predawn announcement on whether it would be open for commuters.
Transportation officials had said Thursday night that there was a slight chance of the bridge reopening for Friday's morning commute.
As of 5:45 a.m. the 73-year-old bridge that usually carries 280,000 vehicles a day was empty.
On Tuesday, three pieces of steel from the bridge fell onto its roadway, forcing its closure.
Crews working on the bridge are replacing four steel rods, one of which failed and caused two rods to fall onto the bridge's deck, California's secretary of business, transportation and housing said at a news conference. Engineers also will make sure the rods are centered and will strengthen the welds to ensure stability, Dale Bonner said. Vibrations in the rods, affected by strong winds, caused the break."

have a nice day,

Marc

mvdisco, bostankorkulugu, patdeph, paololg, Omorika has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

cd70 (0) 2009-10-29 17:21

Hello Marc,
superbe conversion B & W, qui change des clichés trop "commerciaux" que l'on voit trop!
J'aime particulièrement l'ambiance qui se dégage de cette vue, elle a un côté mystérieux... C'est également une belle gamme de gris et le contraste qui font la différence.
Bravo à toi !
Cyrille

Wanda1 (15142) 2009-10-29 22:34

Hello Marc,
Yes, I think that the man was a good inclusion in the shot, not only does he add some life, but as you say he also makes the composition quite balanced. I like the bridge partially covered by the mist. The two viewers look like owls ;o)
There is a lonely feeling about the shot too which I think is emphasised by the black and white.
All the best
Wanda

InasiaJones (31566) 2009-10-29 23:21

Hi Marc,

Just like you, I used to wait for minutes, hours... even weeks! for people to get out of the frame. Now, if they have the proper outfit or features, they are more than welcome in...

C'est vrai que le gars balance bien le Golden Gate et va même jusqu'à constituer un trio avec les trucs optiques. C'est bon des trios. Ça vaut beaucoup de points des trios. Un jour vous aurez aussi vos trios à Québec... ;-P)))

Ta photo ne pourrait être davantage d'actualité, puisque le Bay Bridge est fermé depuis hier, puisqu'une pièce de soutien s'est détachée. On prétend qu'il y aura congestion monstre, puisque les gens ne pourront utiliser que le Golden, sinon les traversiers.

Alors tu as traversé ce pont à pied? Cool n'est-ce pas!? On a sans doute fait la même ride la première fois, car tout le monde veut traverser ce pont mythique.

J'espère que tout se passe bien avec Zoé, maman et papa.

Portez-vous bien!

André

sayeed_rahman (6461) 2009-10-30 7:18

Hey...

i just love this composition..with the low light light and the misty atmosphere..the outer flank of the bridge disappearing...a sense of continuity..

That could actually be you..contemplative..a self portrait..am i just imagining too much..

Though inanimate the telescopes seem to give him company..

Such is the effect of a composition...i really like this Marc

tc

sayeed

yaya13baut (3344) 2009-10-30 11:27

bonsoir Marc,
une belle version noir et blanc du célèbre pont. cela renforce l'ambiance créée par le brouillard.
composition particulièrement réussie avec le pont relégué à droite de l'image, les deux longues vues et cet homme à gauche, tranquillement posé là à regarder le paysage.
Yannis

mvdisco (17798) 2009-10-30 18:59

Bonsoir Marc,
Jolie présentation par temps couvert et brumeux, beau contraste et détails de ce fameux pont qui se perd dans les nuages, belle netteté et lumière, superbe perpective et composition avec le personnage qui est très bien placé, Très jolie en noir et blanc.
tous mes compliments,
Mes salutations,
Michel

bostankorkulugu (42866) 2009-11-01 1:36

yes, it would have been kinda boring without him... he not only balances the compo but adds melancoly to it somehow... love it a lot...

take care...

korkut

patdeph (35750) 2009-11-02 10:44

bonjour Marc
tu as eu raison de mettre l'homme dans la photo,car je trouve qu'il est un véritable plus,non seulement pour donner l'équilibre avec le pont,mais aussi pour donner une âme et une atmosphère la photo!Personnellement,j'adore quand il y a un personage,et à l'inverse de toi,j'attend toujours que quelqu'un passe pour déclancher!
Le noir et blans intensifie ici cette atmosphère naugeuse et mystérieuse,les contrastes sont excellents,et j'aime beaucoup la douce texture des nuages!
Amicalement
Pascale

Waylim (25436) 2009-11-02 11:13

Hi Marc,
Great shot, a typical SFO rainy and foggy day. Which can be annoying but with the right condition to allow some visibility of the bridge and skyline, it can actually be a fantastic moody image which I think you got here.

The inclusion of the lone person looking into the scenery actually enhanced your composition. In combination with this misty atmosphere, it creates a kind of meloncholy mood, and a sense of loneliness or solitude. Black and white is always a classic and timeless. Good sharpness and clarity, consider the low light. I love it. Good shot.
Thanks.
Way

paololg (31448) 2009-11-02 15:22

Ciao dear Marc,
excellent image, managed very well in B&W. The photo is pleasant thanks to the perfect depth of field and the suggestive dramatic sky. Really a complete and well realized composition, compliments!
Ciao, have a nice day!
Paolo

delkoo (68) 2009-11-06 0:40

re
là aussi la composition est bien équilibrée, et le pont n'est plus le sujet principal , il deviens un accessoire important qui ferme la photo sur la droite.

bien vu
didier

mursaloglu (8682) 2009-11-06 9:21

Hello Marc
great picture in BW remainds me those photos of great masters of Magnum. Very succesfulbalancing between the elements and fantastic tones of the grey. Bravo ihsan

roshangar (1682) 2009-11-10 7:40

Very good composition, there is an unusual perspective, I like to see it printed in a big size...

sevy (58) 2010-02-09 7:18

Bonjour Marc,

Lors d un voyage pour le boulot, j ai pu passer 1 journée a SF et je suis passé a ce meme point de vue. La meteo etait bonne ce jour la ce qui fait que j apprecie d autant plus cette vue par temps couvert.
Ca donne une belle ambiance qui est relevée encore plus par l approche en N&B.
Il y a une bonne pureté de l air sous les nuages ce qui permet de bien voir la ville et Bay Bridge. Ca donne une jolie profondeur a l image.

Yves.

trewheeler (1971) 2010-02-12 6:21

Nice take. I really like those viewers, they look like little robots waiting for the man to drop his quarter in there and take a peak at the scene that you have given us. Great BW treatment. TFS, TW

Omorika (538) 2010-02-12 14:12

Hello Marc,

I think that all your decisions here were good. Not to wait for the man to go away, but to include him in the composition, to give him as much room as the bridge got, to present this in black and white. And I also think that in this case you were lucky that the weather was bad, with the nice weather and blue sky, the photo wouldn't be half this good!

Greetings, Mira

macjake (98402) 2010-02-17 20:24

Hi Marc

who says you need a sunny clear day to get an awsome shot of the iconic suspension bridge!
these 3 "people" have a great view.
wonderful capture, and i'm glad you presented it in b/w for more of an impact.
Cheers for this one
Craig

Housegaijin (0) 2010-04-16 8:07

Nice meditative feel to this one, Marc. Good graduated tones too. Bien vu!
Francis